13 The Lord refused to be merciful to Antiochus any longer, even though this disgusting man made the following promises to the Lord:
14 Recently, I planned to trample down the holy city of Jerusalem and to turn it into a pile of Jewish bones. But now I give you my word that Jerusalem will be a free city.
15 I also intended to let the birds and the wild animals eat the bodies of the Jews and their children that I had thrown outside. After all, I did not consider them worth burying. But instead I'll give them the same legal rights as the people of Athens.
16 Some time ago, I robbed the holy temple in Jerusalem of its sacred dishes. But now I'm going to fill the temple with expensive gifts and return those sacred dishes, so there will be more of them than ever before. And I'll pay for all the sacrifices with my own money.
17 Finally, I'll become a Jew and travel to every village, town, and city, telling people about the power of God.
18 God was punishing Antiochus just as he deserved, and so none of these promises relieved his suffering. Then Antiochus wrote the following letter to our people:
19 King Antiochus, commander of the army, sends greetings to the Jews. You are some of my most important citizens, and I wish all of you good health and success.